Mobile Interface to a Show

ABSTRACT

A computer system that communicates with information indicative of a lighting show, and provides information to users in the audience to allow their phones to be interactive with the show. In one embodiment a lighting designer or show promoter can provide information R that extends the lighting effect on to the user&#39;s phone. In another embodiment, the show promoter may provide information indicative of the venue. The information can be location specific, for example information that is provided to a specific client device can be based on the specific location of the client device. This can provide location sensitive lighting information, or maps, or in seat specific information about the venue.

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No.14/055,511 filed Oct. 16, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,141,330 issued Sep.22, 2015, which claims priority from provisional application No.61714499 filed Oct. 16, 2012, the entire contents of which are herewithincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

People at public gatherings and shows often take interactive actions.One example is at a concert where people will often raise lights ofvarious types such as lighters or flashlights. The shows can includeconcerts, football games and other venues. The individual interactivitythus creates an effect that includes different parts from differentpeople at different locations in the audience.

SUMMARY

Embodiments describe different ways of choreographing and controllingthis individual interactivity of the audience at a public venue, e.g., ashow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

the figures show aspects of the invention. Specifically:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventor recognizes that choreography of audience interactivity cancreate effects that can be matched with the effects created by theprofessional lighting experience. The choreography of the audience canprovide the audience members at an event with a personal interactiveexperience. It can expand designers creative designs to have greaterinteractivity with audiences. For example, lighting designer can includeeffects done by the audience as part of the light experience theyprovide as part of the stage lighting being controlled by the lightingdesigner.

Effects as described herein include location based interactivity, wheredifferent people in different locations can interact with the showdepending on input from the show designer. This also provides eventpromoters and organizers a direct channel to audience members to presentinformation and feedback.

An embodiment, called the Mobile iMag, uses a computer system 100 thatcommunicates with both information indicative of the lighting show, andalso with audience members. In one embodiment, the mobile iMag can be acomputer running a website 105 that interacts with a mobile application112 on user's phones or PDAs shown generically as 110, 111, but it beingunderstood that there could be thousands of such phones interacting withthe website 105. In order to maximize the usability of the system, themobile app 112 should run on his many different kinds of mobileplatforms as possible, regardless of operating systems or serviceproviders.

The operation can connect the phone directly via Wi-Fi to the computer100, shown as 115 in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the phone111 connects to the website via their cellular provider 116.

In one embodiment, the operation is location sensitive, that is,different results are given to users at different locations.

The mobile app 112 can be downloaded, for example by using a QR Bar codeon a ticket or on promotional literature.

Once this website or app is accessed, the audience members are providedcontent that is related to the specific show. Audience members caninteract with the show or event that they are attending, and customizetheir experience. Some of the ways audience members can interact withthe show include the following.

The website 105 can send, and hence the clients can receive, a streamedvideo signal of the image magnification 120 (iMag), which is commonlydisplayed on large video screens at events. This is received over thewireless channel. For example, in one embodiment, the iMag can only bereceived over the local Wi-Fi channel 115 based on information that isprovided by the mobile application 112. As another example, this can bereceived directly from the website.

The users can customize their own iMag feed that is being displayed ontheir mobile device by making a selection from a group of iMag feeds at121. For example, these can be different feeds such as a video of themain artists, of the audience, video showing other artists, feed of thestage or of the stage background being displayed, or any other feed thatmay be available.

Using the app 112, users can vote or provide feedback to the artists andor event organizers on the previous or upcoming event content. Forexample, the app 112 can periodically ask users what they think ofvarious parts of the show, and the users can provide voting such asthumbs-up/thumbs down, or other kinds of voting.

Users can receive prompting like music lyrics to sing along. This canalso be used for example as part of a karaoke event.

Users can receive synced or non synced control signals from lighting,video, scenic, and or audio equipment that trigger specific colors,intensity states and or specific video content play back to extend anevents onstage creative design out and into the audience. Example, thecomputer 100 can be connected to the lighting console 130, that includesinstructions such as 131 created by a lighting designer and representingthe lighting portion of the show. The lighting console produces anoutput 135 that controls lighting devices associated with the show suchas a video wall 96 as well as lights 97,98. More generally, any lightthat shines on the stage can be controlled by the lighting console. Theinstructions 131 represent the lighting designer's design of the show.These instructions 131 can also be communicated to the computer 100, andcan include instructions for display on different user's phones. In oneembodiment, the locations where the users are sitting in the audiencecan be obtained by the phone, using automatic location detection, or byentering it into the phone and receiving the information from scanning aQR code on the user's ticket. The individual information sent to theuser's phone can be specific to the area of the concert where the usersare located. For example, users on stage left may receive pink screenswhile users on stage might may receive blue screens in order to createan interactive audience experience.

In addition to lighting effects, the promoter can use the application toProvide general information, like venue maps, seating information, aswell as general announcements like time left in an intermissionlocations where refreshments can be obtained, and other informationabout the venue.

The application can also receive dedicated and directed advertisingassociated with the application, in a way that it is likely to be lookedat by the users.

The application can provide direct public safety announcements in theevent of an emergency.

The application can provide pre event, and post event information andhighlights.

The application can be used for in-seat purchasing of event concessionsand promotional items like swag. In the embodiment where the system hasreceived the user seat number, users can order food and drinks, or orderpromotional merchandise to be delivered to their seat.

The above has described 2 types of location-based interactivity. Thelocation information can be ascertained not only via the standardmethods commonly found on mobile devices, like WiFi, Cellular, and GPSbut also via user specified information like seat section and number,ticket number, and or QR bar code on a ticket, promotional literature,and or signage.

The location-based interactivity can also allow for other applicationsas described herein.

The audience member's mobile device acts as a single pixel in a largeaudience based video screen.

Display event content that would be unique to the location where theaudience member is. For example, when the user is in a specific seatlocation, they may be receiving specific views or view blockages thatcan be compensated by the application by streaming a video that showswhat is behind the blockage.

Receive synced or non synced control signals from lighting, video,scenic, and or audio equipment that trigger location specific colors,intensity states and or location specific video content play back.

Provide location specific general information like closest vendors,bathrooms, or exits.

Provide location specific advertising.

Have in seat purchased concessions and promotional items, like swag,delivered directly to the audience member's seat or location. That is,the user can indicate their seat or have their seat detected by alocation sensitive part, and order food or items to be delivered.

Different embodiments allow the device to be operable on both open andclosed dedicated and or non-dedicated networks via Wi-Fi or Cellularsignals.

In one embodiment, only people who have the tickets can use theapplication, and each ticket can have a scannable code or integer codeto allow only that person to use the application. That code can alsoprovide the user's location to the system t enable the locationsensitive information.

Another embodiment can allow the application to be open to the generalpublic, so anyone can use the application and receive the information.

Mobile iMag can receive Lighting, Audio, Video and or Scenic informationvia industry standard communication protocols.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above,other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to beencompassed within this specification. The specification describesspecific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may beaccomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to beexemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification oralternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skillin the art. For example, other applications can be used, and otherfunctions can be carried out.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrativelogical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented aselectronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. Toclearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software,various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and stepshave been described above generally in terms of their functionality.Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or softwaredepends upon the particular application and design constraints imposedon the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the describedfunctionality in varying ways for each particular application, but suchimplementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

The lights which are described herein can be computer-controlled, andcan be controlled for example over a network or DMX connection bysending remote controls over that connection. These lights can also, forexample, the remotely controllable for pan and tilt.

Also, the inventor(s) intend that only those claims which use the words“means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixthparagraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intendedto be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expresslyincluded in the claims.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments isprovided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use thepresent invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodimentswill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the genericprinciples defined herein may be applied to other embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown hereinbut is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principlesand novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile phone system, comprising: a mobiletelephone that runs applications, and includes a screen that displaysdisplay information, and said mobile telephone receives input thatreceives input information from a user, and said mobile telephone alsodetecting its location; said mobile telephone running said applicationto obtain authorization information indicating that the mobile telephoneis authorized for the show or event, and to receive input informationfrom a user indicative of which of a plurality of different video feedsto be received to the mobile telephone, where the video feeds include atleast a video feed of a first artist performing at the show or event, asecond video feed of a second artist different from the first artist atthe show or event, and a third video feed indicative of stage backgroundat the show or event, as a selected video feed; and to receive displayinformation indicative of the selected video feed on the screen of themobile telephone, where at least one of the different video feeds isalso displayed on a display screen at the show or event, and whereinsaid mobile telephone also receives other information, and at least oneof said other information is based on said detected location of theuser.
 2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising said mobiletelephone running said application for obtaining show attendanceinformation which indicates that the user has purchased a ticket to theshow or event, and provides said display information to a first mobiletelephone associated with the user who has purchased the ticket to theshow or event and does not provide said display information to a secondmobile telephone associated with a second user who has not purchased theticket to the show or event.
 3. The system as in claim 2, wherein saidshow attendance information includes a code associated with an entryticket.
 4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said other informationincludes location of vendors, bathrooms, and exits at a venue relativeto the user's detected location.
 5. The system as in claim 1, whereinsaid at least other information includes information enabling items tobe delivered to a location of the user at their seat in a venue of theshow or event.
 6. The system as in claim 1, wherein said informationreceived from the user includes feedback on different parts of the showor event.
 7. The system as in claim 1, wherein other informationincludes map information about a venue of the show or event based onsaid detected location.
 8. The system as in claim 1, wherein said otherinformation includes lighting information, where different mobiletelephones receive different parts of the lighting information based onsaid detected location.
 9. The system as in claim 8, wherein saidlighting information is an individual pixel intended to be displayedalong with multiple different individual pixels of other mobiletelephones.
 10. The system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality ofdifferent video feeds include a fourth video feed indicative of showingscenes of an audience.
 11. A method of operating a mobile phone,comprising: running applications on a mobile telephone, displayinginformation on a screen of the mobile telephone, said information thatis displayed on the screen includes information from the applications;receiving input from a user of the mobile telephone, said inputincluding input information that is used for said applications; a firstof said applications being an application associated with a show orevent in a venue; running said first application in said mobiletelephone to obtain authorization information indicating that the mobiletelephone is authorized for the show or event, running said applicationto receive input information from the user indicative of which of aplurality of different video feeds to be received to the mobiletelephone, where the video feeds include at least a video feed of afirst artist performing at the show or event, a second video feed of asecond artist different from the first artist at the show or event, anda third video feed indicative of stage background at the show or event,as a selected video feed; running said application to receive displayinformation from a remote location, said information indicative of theselected video feed on the screen of the mobile telephone, where atleast one of the different video feeds is also displayed on a displayscreen at the show or event, running said application for said mobiletelephone to determine a location of the user, and running theapplication to also receive other information, and at least one of saidother information is based on a detected location of the user.
 12. Themethod as in claim 11 further comprising running said application forobtaining show attendance information which indicates that the user haspurchased a ticket to the show or event, and provides said displayinformation to a first mobile telephone associated with the user who haspurchased the ticket to the show or event and does not provide saiddisplay information to a second mobile telephone associated with asecond user who has not purchased the ticket to the show or event. 13.The method as in claim 12 wherein said show attendance informationincludes a code associated with an entry ticket.
 14. The method as inclaim 11 wherein said other information includes location of vendors,bathrooms, and exits at the venue relative to the user's detectedlocation.
 15. The method as in claim 11, wherein said at least otherinformation includes information enabling items to be delivered to alocation of the user at their seat in a venue of the show or event. 16.The method as in claim 11, wherein said information received from theuser includes feedback on different parts of the show or event.
 17. Themethod as in claim 11, wherein said other information is lightinginformation, where different mobile telephones receive different partsof the lighting information based on said detected location.
 18. Themethod as in claim 17, wherein said lighting information is anindividual pixel intended to be displayed along with multiple differentindividual pixels of other mobile telephones.
 19. A mobile phone system,comprising: a mobile telephone that runs applications, and includes ascreen that displays display information, and said mobile telephonereceives input that receives input information from a user; said mobiletelephone running said application to obtain authorization informationfrom an entry ticket to a show or event, indicating that the mobiletelephone is authorized for the show or event, and to receive inputinformation from a user indicative of which of a plurality of differentvideo feeds to be received to the mobile telephone if the mobiletelephone is authorized for the show or event and not receiving theinput information from a user indicative of which of a plurality ofdifferent video feeds to be received to the mobile telephone if themobile telephone is not authorized for the show or event, where thevideo feeds include at least a video feed of a first item at the show orevent, a second video feed of a second item at the show or eventdifferent from the first item at the show or event, and a third videofeed indicative of a background at the show or event, as a selectedvideo feed; and to receive display information indicative of theselected video feed on the screen of the mobile telephone if the mobiletelephone is authorized for the show or event and not receiving thedisplay information from the user indicative of which of a plurality ofdifferent video feeds to be received to the mobile telephone if themobile telephone is not authorized for the show or event, and whereinsaid mobile telephone also receives other information, and at least oneof said other information is based on a detected location of the user.20. The system as in claim 19, wherein said other information includeslocation of vendors, bathrooms, and exits at a venue relative to theuser's detected location.
 21. The system as in claim 19, wherein otherinformation includes map information about a venue of the show or eventbased on said detected location.